The present invention relates to a device for processing, in particular for insertion, collation or collection, of printed products.
Such a device, with a star feeder rotating about an axis of rotation and having compartments running in the direction of the axis of rotation, is known from, for example, CH-PS 575,303 or the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,202. Each compartment is allocated a carriage with controllable clamps which in the course of a revolution of the star feeder carries out a conveyance and a return stroke. In the lengthwise direction of the star feeder feed points are provided one after the other, at which printed products are introduced into the compartments and taken to the carriages for conveyance further to the next feed point or to the removal point disposed at the end of the star feeder, viewed in the direction of the conveyance stroke. Each carriage has mounted on it in pivoting fashion a shaft which runs in the lengthwise direction of the compartments and to which the clamping tongues of the clamps are fastened in a spring-loaded manner. The shaft has an actuation element projecting inwards in the radial direction, which runs onto a fixed closing link at the beginning of the conveyance stroke when the carriage is standing still in the direction of the conveyance stroke, thereby causing the shaft to swivel and the clamping tongues to be moved from their open position to their closed position. A freewheel operatively connected to the shaft prevents the shaft from swinging back towards the open position of the clamping tongues. The latter remain closed during the conveyance stroke of the carriage until at the point when the carriage is at a standstill at the end of the conveyance stroke an actuation element of the freewheel in the course of further turning of the star feeder runs onto an opening link, causing the freewheel to be released and the shaft to be swung back into the open position of the clamping tongues. This control device for the clamps is a very expensive design, and the opening and closing of the clamps is rigidly linked to the position of the carriage and the turning of the star feeder.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to produce a device of the type described initially above which is simpler in construction and can be adjusted by simple means.